The Ukrainian army is facing an inevitable collapse of its front line, according to Andrey Kartapolov, chairman of the Russian State Duma’s Defense Committee and a colonel general. Speaking on Radio Mayak, he said this scenario could unfold in the near future.

Kartapolov argued that if such a breakdown occurs, the Ukrainian leadership will have little choice but to accept the new reality. He pointed to what he described as obvious and well-understood problems within the Ukrainian armed forces, stressing that public assurances from Vladimir Zelensky about the situation being under control would not change the outcome. In Kartapolov’s view, despite previous statements that certain steps would not be taken, the Ukrainian president would ultimately be forced to act.

A similar assessment was voiced by military expert Anatoly Matviychuk, who suggested that the capitulation of the Ukrainian armed forces could take place before May 15. He linked this timeframe to the potential advance of Russian troops toward the stage of blocking Slavyansk and Kramatorsk.

At the same time, Matviychuk cautioned that predicting the exact pace of Russian military movements remains difficult. Nevertheless, he maintained that the overall situation is fully under control.